Portable joints and muscle physical therapy equipment

ABSTRACT

The therapeutic equipment according to the present invention is designed to heal and strengthen the joints and muscle in the body. The equipment comprises a plastic material molded bottom base and a plastic material molded top base which is connected to the bottom base by a swivel allowing both clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movements while an individual placing their hand or foot into and applying force within the holster that is mounted on top of the top base. The equipment comprises resistance bands and adjustable resistance levers to adjust for the desired resistance force. The equipment is light weight and small in size and thus is portable. Both the top base and bottom base can be manufactured by plastic molding process and thus is easy for manufacturing and economic in production cost.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to physical therapy equipment, and more particularly to portable physical therapy equipment for healing and strengthening joints and muscle in the body. This type of therapy that this invention offers is called Applied Twist Resistance.

2. Description of Related Art

This invention relates to a physical therapy machine. Many patients must undergo physical therapy for the treatment of various injuries or diseases. The use of a machine to provide automatic physical therapy rather than depending upon manual therapy applied by physical therapists is therefore desirable due to low cost and uniform manipulation. The use of therapy device for providing individual to undergo physical therapy for the treatment of various joints and muscle injuries is known in the prior art including U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,161; U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,924; U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,341; U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,499; U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,581; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 298,570. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new portable physical therapy apparatus which can be easily manufactured at low production cost and is light weight and small in size so it is portable and can be used at home or carried on the road to ensure consistent treatment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a new portable physical therapy device which can be easily manufactured at low production cost and is light weight and small in size so it is portable and can be used at home or carried on the road to ensure consistent treatment.

The present invention is designed to strengthen ligaments in the joints where most injuries occur, and muscle around the joints (the tendons of the muscle to the bone). The joints and muscle therapy equipment of the present invention is an effective therapeutic equipment for healing minor and major injuries.

The present invention includes a plastic material molded bottom base and a plastic material molded top base which is connected to the bottom base by a swivel allowing bi-directional rotational movement (both clockwise and counterclockwise movement). In one embodiment, beneath the top base and on top of the swivel, resistance bands thread through the eye bolts which connect to resistance levers inside the bottom base. The resistance levers is designed to control the resistance force of the resistance bands by sliding the eye bolts within an “X” shaped slot cut out of the bottom base. The resistance levers can be adjusted to provide an increase or decrease in the resistance force.

The top base has a holster for a user to place a hand or a foot inside for physical therapy. The bottom base is covered and the cover is glued by a material including but not limited to neoprene for providing firm grip to different types of surfaces such that when an individual applies resistance force to the equipment from the foot or hand positioned in the holster the bottom base stays stationary.

In one embodiment, the equipment further comprises a power gauge and a pointer which measures and shows the amount of resistance by applied force. The equipment is portable because it is light weight and small in size. Both the top base and bottom base can be manufactured by plastic molding process and thus is easy for manufacturing and economic in production cost.

The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the equipment 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention of which the top base and bottom base are in overlapped position.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the equipment 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention of which the top base and bottom base are rotated away from each other.

FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the top base showing a circle recess for receiving the swivel.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the bottom base showing a square recess for receiving the swivel.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the equipment showing separate parts that make up the equipment.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the equipment without bottom base cover showing resistance bands, X slot, and adjustable resistance levers.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective side view of the equipment. Some parts are only revealed when other parts (e.g. top base, bottom base, etc.) are presented in transparency.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is disclosed a top view of the equipment generally designated 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The equipment 1 comprises a top base 2 and a bottom base 3 which are connected via a swivel 5 in the center (not visible). Both top base 2 and bottom base 3 are overlapped with each other shown in FIG. 1, while they are rotated away from each other in FIG. 2. A holster 7 designed for an individual to place a hand or a foot within for therapy is mounted on top of the top base 2. The holster 7 is made of materials including rubber, neoprene, cloth, the combination thereof and/or other suitable materials known in the art. The holster 7 has fastening means 15 including but not limited to Velcro like straps for securing foot or hand in place.

Both the top base 2 and bottom base 3 can be plastic molded. The top base 2 has a circle recess 14 in the center of its bottom surface as shown in FIG. 3A and the bottom base 3 has a square recess 13 in the center of the top surface as shown in FIG. 3B for receiving the swivel 5 (not shown and will be discussed later). The bottom base 3 also has an “X” shaped slot 10 cut out in its center for eye bolts 52 to slide back and forth (not shown and will be discussed later).

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, there are disclosed an exploded view of the equipment 1, a bottom view of the equipment 1 without the bottom base cover 11, as well as a top view of a swivel 5 and resistance bands 4. FIG. 4 shows separate parts that make up of the equipment 1, a top base 2, a bottom base 3, a swivel 5 connecting the top base 2 and bottom base 3, and resistance bands 4. The swivel 5 comprising a plurality of square stainless steel plates 53 and a stainless steel ball bearing 54 encased between the plates 53. The swivel 5 is located on top of the bottom base 3. The resistance bands 4 mount on top of the swivel 5 crossing each other, and the top base 2 mounts on top of the bands 4 that are on top of the swivel 5. The resistance bands 4 are sandwiched in between the top base 2 and swivel 5. Screws are inserted in the swivel 5, through the resistance bands 4, and into the top base 2. The resistance bands 4 thread through four eye bolts 52 which connect to resistance levers 9 that are located inside the bottom base 3. Therefore, resistance levers 9 can provide different levels of resistance force by sliding the four eye bolts 52 back and forth on the resistance bands within the “X” slot 10. The constructions of the resistance levers 9 mounted inside the bottom base 2 and the “X” shaped slot 10 cut out of the bottom base 3 are demonstrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In one embodiment, each resistance band thread through two eye bolts. A total of four eye bolts thread through the slot cut out in the bottom base and connect to the adjustable levers mounted inside the bottom base 3.

The equipment 1 further comprises a pointer 6 and power gauge (or grid) 8 which may have a scale ranged from 0 to 100 to measure and show the amount of resistance force. When the equipment 1 is in use by an individual, the pointer 6 points to the number on the power gauge 8 to show the amount of resistance by the applied force. The top base 2 can swivel with clockwise or counter clockwise force when an individual placing a foot or hand in the holster 7 wherein force is applied while bottom base 3 stays stationary on the surface. The power gauge 8 may be manufactured together with the bottom base 3 as in one plastic mold. The pointer 6 may be manufactured together with the top base 2 as in one plastic mold.

A bottom cover 11 made from plastic mold is mounted onto the bottom base 2 by screws. A slip resistance material including but not limited to neoprene for providing firm grip to different types of surfaces is glued onto the bottom cover 11 and thus the bottom base 3 stays stationary while an individual applies resistance force from the foot or hand positioned in the holster 7.

Resistance bands 4 are made from materials including but not limited to nylon bungee like material that stretches with applied resistance force. The resistance levers 9 may be made from stainless steel type metal. Other materials suitable for the purpose may be used.

In a preferred embodiment, the dimension of the top base 2 is approximately 9 inches wide, 14 inches long and 1 inch deep. The recess 14 on the top base 2 is approximately 5.75 inches in radius and 0.75 inches in depth. The preferred dimension of the bottom base 3 is approximately 10 inches wide, 14 inches long and 1 inch deep. The recess 13 on the bottom base 3 is approximately 6.125 inches wide, 6.125 inches long and 0.125 inches deep. The square stainless steel plate of the swivel 5 is preferably 6 inches by 6 inches. The bottom cover 11 is approximately 10 inches wide, 14 inches long and 0.125 inch thick. The dimensions of the equipment 1 can be changed.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable therapeutic device for healing and strengthening joints and muscle injuries comprising: a top base; a holster connected to and mounted on top of the top base for receiving a hand or a foot for physical therapy, the holster having a fastening means for securing the hand or foot in place; a swivel connected to the top base; a bottom base connected to the swivel, the bottom base having a slot cut out in the center; at least one eye bolts; at least one resistance bands located between the top base and the swivel, the resistance bands thread through eye bolts; and at least one resistance levers located inside the bottom base and connected to eye bolts so that resistance levers can control resistance force of the resistance bands by sliding the eye bolts back and forth within the slot in the bottom base.
 2. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1 further comprising a power gauge (grid) and a pointer to measure and show the applied resistance force.
 3. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1 further comprising a bottom base cover to cover the bottom base, the bottom base cover is further glued with slip resistance material for providing a firm grip to different types of surfaces so that the bottom base stays stationary while the equipment is in use.
 4. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the top base is preferably approximately 9 inches wide, 14 inches long and 1 inch thick.
 5. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the bottom base is preferably approximately 10 inches wide, 14 inches long and 1 inch thick.
 6. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the top base having a circle recess of approximately 5.75 inches in radius and 0.75 inches in depth for receiving the swivel.
 7. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the bottom base having a square recess of approximately 6.125 inches wide, 6.125 inches long and 0.125 inches deep for receiving the swivel.
 8. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the resistance bands are made from resistant and stretchable materials including but not limited to nylon bungee like material.
 9. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the resistance levers are made from stainless steel metal.
 10. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the swivel comprising a plurality of square stainless steel plates and a stainless steel ball bearing encased between the plates.
 11. The portable therapeutic device of claim 10, wherein the square stainless steel plate is approximately 6 inches by 6 inches.
 12. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the fastening means is Velcro hook and loop.
 13. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the holster is made from one of rubber, neoprene, cloth, and the combination thereof.
 14. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the top base and the bottom base are made from plastic mold.
 15. The portable therapeutic device of claim 2, wherein the power gauge can be made together with the bottom base as one unit from one plastic mold and the pointer can be made together with the top base as one unit from one plastic mold.
 16. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1, wherein the slot in the bottom base has an “X” shape.
 15. The portable therapeutic device of claim 1 comprises four eye bolts and two resistance bands, each resistance band thread through two eye bolts.
 16. The portable therapeutic device of claim 15 wherein the fastening means being screws which are inserted in the swivel, through the resistance bands, and into the top base. 